Concerning the book

Image from http://www.clipartbest.com
Should I answer the phone? Do you still have my number? Is it a wrong number? How should I answer? Would my voice show my shock? Should I answer the phone? Should I cut it off? Would it ring again after the first disconnect? Should I answer the phone? What should I say when you ask 'how'? Can I make small talk? How do I talk normally to hide that I am glad to hear from you and also sad at the memories of previous times? Do you really want to borrow the book from me? Why did you call me of all people?  Do you want to talk to me? Is the book an excuse to make contact? How could I make this easy for you? What do I do when I get the book? Do I call you? Do I email you? Do I text you? How quickly can I get the book so that I could contact you? How am I going to give you the book? How will I collect the book from you when you are done? Will we talk about the book? Will we ever talk again? Will we ever talk for hours again without boundaries?
How can I write bland sentences to tell you about the book? How can I ask you about your relative with cancer? Is this safe enough? Why haven't you replied to the email? Are you alive? Did someone see the email and delete it? Do you have a filter on my emails to your Trash? Did I do the right thing? Should I have said no I do not have the book and will never lend you the book? Would that be a bad thing?
Should I send the email  again? Why did I send it  again? Why didn't you reply to the email which I sent again?  Don't you want the book? Did you remember that you wanted nothing more to do with me? What should I do if I ever see your number again on the phone?  Did I do the right thing in emailing you? Did I do the right thing in giving you my number all those years ago? Should I have answered the phone?




With apologies to Donald Barthelme

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Turpentine mango madness

Image
Some of the mango was stuck on the stubble around my mouth. I looked at the mirror, a bit of shame because I had just collected an invitation from a well dressed guy and I wonder how I must have looked to him.. look at dis big man .. he cyan eat mango good . Thing is.. wiping off mango from stubble is difficult.. and the casual swipe with a hand which might have some juice is also useless. The turpentine mango is useless when it is green - it tastes awful, like turpentine.  Mother Nature works a miracle because the ripe one though, is sweet, juicy, no strings and no turpentine taste. And the colours on the skins are bright yellow/orange/pink/purple/red shades that are probably meant to draw all species of mango lovers. The trouble with turpentine is that you cannot pick it green or 'turnin' ' to ripen like say how they do it with Spice mangoes.  You have to leave on the tree until there is some point.. when there is no taste of turpentine. So you look at the m
Read more

Re-writing Irfaan Ali's disgraceful statement after accepting his comrade's resignation

Image
  (President Irfaan Ali made a Facebook post in which he accepted the resignation of his comrade Nigel Dharmlall from the Cabinet and the Party. This is an imaginary rewriting of that statement) Fellow Guyanese, as you’re aware, I am in Trinidad and Tobago attending the 45th session of the Heads of Government meeting of CARICOM and the 50th anniversary of CARICOM.  Tonight I want to address you in relation to the allegation that was made multiple allegations of rape and sexual violence which have been made against Minister Nigel Dharamlall.  From the inception, I advised the population that I would allow the system to work.   I would never and the government would never intervene in the system. We’ve allowed an independent investigation; the minister proceeded on leave to ensure that an independent investigation was conducted. I recognise that many survivors of rape and other forms of gender-based violence do not trust the system to work because it has failed many times.  I ad
Read more

My experience with depression - Dr Raquel Thomas-Caesar

Image
(The University of Guyana held Turkeyne & Tain Talks 2 on Monday 12 September, 2016 on Suicide Prevention . Dr Raquel Thomas-Caesar made a presentation based on her experience. This is the text of the presentation) by Raquel Thomas-Caesar I am not an expert on the issue of Suicide and Depression but this is my personal journey dealing with such issues. I have never spoken publicly about this at such a forum and I hope that it serves to help others even if only a small way- Dr Raquel Thomas-Caesar South East London,  June 9, 1995 As I sit under the tree, hidden from all eyes…I wait….to go. I wait to die. Then it hits me…OMG. I really don’t want to die. What have I done? My head is swinging, fuzzy, I can hardly walk. But I barely make it up and up the hill…I see two young black men in the distance…they come towards me, I could only imagine they thought I was on drugs..I beg for help. My Angels.  I wake up in the hospital. This was me- 21 years ago.  In a foreign land, drea
Read more